Solitary Man Read Free Page A

for the door. “Sure you don’t want to wait five?” one of the bartenders asked as she passed.
    “No, thanks. I’ll be fine.” She waved good night and ducked into the cool night air before he could argue. The taxi routinely picked her up on the corner of the one way street. Most nights one of the guys kept her company on her walk, but tonight she wanted to be alone. She needed to think about what Kevin’s return meant for her future and what form of revenge would work best on the sister-in-law who had betrayed her.
    She exhaled, watching the puff of air hover and disappear. With the chill in the air, she found it hard to believe spring was on the way. She bowed her head down and walked to the corner, her hand wrapped around the pepper spray she kept in her coat pocket as a precaution. The streets were quiet, but the guys at work had taught her never to take safety for granted. From the beginning they’d looked on her as their naive kid sister, which, for the most part, she had been. They’d taught her how to flirt when appropriate, duck a come-on when necessary, and how to take care of herself.
    As she reached the corner, someone grabbed her arm and she swung around, pepper spray in her other hand. As quickly as she’d turned, she found herself disarmed and pulled against a lean, hard body, her face pressed against cold leather. Heart pounding, throat dry, she grappled for a way out and remembered the night’s tips tucked safely inside her boots. She wondered if her attacker would be satisfied with that or if he wanted something more. Something she wouldn’t willingly give.
    Before she could process that thought, he released her. She stumbled backward and looked up to see Kevin, pepper spray in hand and a dark scowl on his face.
    She drew in a ragged breath. The cold air did nothing to calm her nerves or her shaking hands. Even as she glared at him, she couldn’t help the awareness that shot through her veins. He hadn’t changed. He oozed sex appeal and raw danger. With his dark hair, razor stubble and black leather jacket, he was a part of the streets and the black night that stretched out before them. He was a loner, belonging on his own, much more than he’d ever belong to anyone else. She’d been foolish to hope he’d ever be hers.
    “I didn’t believe those rumors until I saw you in the bar,” she said when she’d caught her breath. “You have resurfaced.”

TWO
    K evin didn’t smile. In fact, his eyes darkened until they matched the color of the night sky. “And you don’t look too pleased that I have.”
    “What do you expect? You scared me half to death. What’s wrong with you, sneaking up on me like that?” Nikki rubbed her arm where he’d grabbed her, more from a sense of shock than anything else. He hadn’t hurt her, not physically anyway.
    “Join the club, princess. Just watching you tonight scared the hell out of me.”
    Her heart skipped a beat at the endearment he so casually tossed her way. He’d always called her princess, from the first moment they’d met. He’d called her princess that night too, when he’d thrust inside her and realized she was a virgin. She should have told him, but she’d been too afraid he’d turn her away if she had. The risk was too great. She’d needed the comfort as much as she’d needed him .
    He’d kissed away her tears and reached past her childish fantasies to what she’d foolishly believed was reality. In so doing, he’d touched her heart… and trampled on it the following day. Never again, she reminded herself and breathed deeply, allowing the cold air to clear her mind. Even the nausea seemed to fade, courtesy of the fresh air.
    “What’s wrong with you ?” he asked.
    “Excuse me?” She blinked at his harsh tone of voice.
    “What have you done with your life? Giving up teaching to work in a place like that.” He gestured toward the bar down the street. “Letting strange men paw you,” he continued without missing a beat.